External-Internal Load Relationships in Professional Basketball Players. Exploring Efficiency Index
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15359/mhs.23-1.20957Keywords:
workload, load monitoring, heart rate, TRIMP, load managementAbstract
Purpose: To examine the within-player associations between external load (EL; playing time, movement load), internal load (IL; heart rate, rating of perceived exertion [RPE], and training impulse [TRIMP]) and efficiency index (Effindex) during friendly professional games in professional male basketball players. Additionally, a second aim was to explore the intra-relationships within EL, IL and Effindex variables (EL vs EL, IL vs IL, Effindex vs Effindex). Methods: 10 male basketball players competing in the Spanish First Division (ACB) were monitored during 5 preseason friendly games across the 2021/2022 preseason (5 games over 25 days). The physical parameters recorded were classified into: (I) 2 external load variables, (II) 3 internal load variables and (III) 12 efficiency indexes. Results: Significant (p < 0.05), positive and large to very large correlations were observed between all external and internal physical load variables. Concerning the relationship between EL and Effindex and IL and Effindex and intra-relationships within EL, IL and Effindex variables, showed high variability when correlation analyses were analyzed. Conclusions: Simple measures such as RPE and playing time, which can be obtained without the technological devices, provide meaningful insight into players’ adaptation to the physical stress imposed by training and competition. Therefore, these cost-effective variables may offer a practical overview of the accumulated external physical load experienced by players during a given event, even in the absence of advanced monitoring technology.
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